Select an experience that you recall vividly and can write about with some feeling. Although you may spend some time reflecting on your experiences, two thirds of this narrative should be about the direct experience. Help readers experience, at a sensory level, what you experienced.

Think about locating the “arc” of the narrative: the slow development of conflict or tension throughout the narrative until a resolution and conclusion. There are many structures for narrative, but most conventional, short narratives follow this simple structure. The resolution doesn’t need to tie up every loose end completely — that will often seem too neat and contrived — but in most cases something happens to end the arc.

Don’t overdramatize or invent conflict that didn’t exist. Although interesting narratives often deal with big issues — deaths or near deaths, arguments, or heroic acts — those big issues aren’t necessary to interesting and important personal narrative. Capturing the daily activities described above — Facebook posts, texts between you and a friend, and so on — could all make interesting personal narratives.